This month we have been serving at Myanmar Bible College teaching a few Bible subjects and a lot of English.
On Wednesday we had the opportunity to spend the evening with the Bible College students. After school we danced, played games, and danced some more.
We taught them the Church Clap and Footloose and a few of the girls taught us a traditional Burmese dance!
After dinner, the guys left and we were able to sit down with the women. I shared part of my testimony and how I struggled with body image, the different places I tried to find value, and the women’s retreat I went to where God shown some light on all of it. I also shared about my decision to shave my head and the victory and struggles along the way.
My teammate also shared some of her story, circling all around trying to find our worth and realizing it can only be found in Jesus. We opened up the floor and a few of the women shared their testimony as well.
Afterwards we asked if any of them wanted to paint their nails and I was surprised by how excited they were! I helped one girl with the nail polish remover.
Afterwards, one of the students came up to me and said “Teacher! Please, can I?” She grabbed my hand and motioned to paint my nails!
I said yes, she grabbed the bright red nail polish, and started painting.
As I sat there watching her I thought of a few different things.
First, I was impressed with how long my nails have gotten since working outside of maintenance and I recognized this as the brightest my nails have been painted in the last 4 years. I thought about how “faddish” this color would be considered in the Air Force and I laughed to myself, wondering why I haven’t painted them since.
Secondly, I wondered if my newly painted nails would make me feel any different. I wondered if I’d feel any more feminine. I wondered if it would somehow prevent people from assuming I was a boy, a lesbian, or that I wanted to be a boy.
Thirdly and most wonderfully, after pushing all of the other empty thoughts aside, I sat there in awe of God’s love. I thought about the beauty there is in serving out of love and while I assumed I would be the one pampering the students, I sat there as my student carefully painted my nails, touched up the edges, gave me a second coat, went over with white tips, and then went over it all with a top coat.
I thought about how intimately God loves us and how Jesus humbled himself and served out of love.
It’s crazy to wrap my mind around really. Sometimes I forget where I am and what is going on in the world around me. There is so much destruction going on in Myanmar, so much poverty around me, and yet there is so much beauty shining through the Christians we meet.
I was expecting to have this “Beauty for Ashes” night to fill the girls up with the Truth God speaks over them and I ended up being so encouraged and enlightened in the process of it all.
I really can’t believe we’re leaving Myanmar so soon. Monday we will be heading to Cambodia for a week to get together with the rest of our squad and other World Racers on the field to have time to share and encourage one another. After that, we’ll be heading to Africa!
How have almost 6 months gone by already? Time is flying.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV
